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Umbral #1
Umbral: Vol. 1: Out of the Shadows
In Umbral, the young thief Rascal breaks into the royal palace using a rare eclipse as cover for the theft of a priceless gem. During the heist, Rascal witnesses the death of the King and Queen, the first step in the invasion of the world by the Umbral, mythical shadow creatures... and no one knows it's happening. Umbral is the latest collaboration between the creative team of Antony Johnston and Mitten, who co-created the post-apocalyptic and impressively expansive series Wasteland.
168 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2013
2 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Antony Johnston
339 books394 followers** Sign up for Antony's newsletter at http://ajwriter.substack.com **
Antony Johnston is a multi-award-winning author, a New York Times bestseller, and one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
Antony Johnston is a multi-award-winning author, a New York Times bestseller, and one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 9, 2014
Umbral Volume 1 is the worst comic I’ve read since Wasteland Book 1 which was also created by writer Antony Johnston and artist Christopher Mitten, a detail I found out afterwards!
Umbral is set in fantasyland where a kingdom is preparing for some kind of ceremony for their king or something that coincides with an eclipse. A rascally (monetarily) poor girl called Rascal is running around the palace because she’s somehow friends with the prince - then shadowy creatures, the Umbral of the title, attack because they’ve got a glowy ball of magic (I think) called the Oculus which they need for something (nothing good probably ‘cos they’re “evil”). Rascal goes on the run while the Umbral chase her the entire book.
To say that Umbral is a crap comic is an insult to the New 52 - Savage Hawkman was better than this! Actually no, that’s too harsh, nothing has yet surpassed Savage Hawkman for sheer awfulness - I literally appreciate life more knowing that I’m not reading Savage Hawkman; but still, Umbral is pretty bad.
The story is so shallow and uninvolving while none of the characters rise above the lightest and least memorable of portrayals, and absolutely no aspect of the comic engaged me in any way. I couldn’t care less for Rascal, let alone give a damn about some weird kingdom and some flat “bad” shadow monsters who want to tear it down. Go for it! Destroy it all! Who the hell cares? Based on his writing, certainly not Antony Johnston!
I didn’t like Christopher Mitten’s art in Wasteland and still don’t like it here even if he’s added colour to it - the art is so poorly put together throughout. Like in one scene where Rascal is talking to the head of the Thieves’ Guild who’s a bearded man - the next page is a close up of a shadow monster and she runs, manages to pull out a mountain climber’s pick out of nowhere (and which we never see again) to hook onto an outcropping and escape. What annoyed me was that there was no scene in between to indicate that the bearded man had transformed into the shadow monster - I thought the two were separate, ie. bearded man and Rascal in room, shadow monster appears, Rascal escapes and bearded man probably dies in the room. But the bearded man WAS the shadow monster, a fact you don’t realise until a couple pages later. AWFUL sequential art, Mitten. And how original were the shadow monsters’ character designs? They all look like Venom from Spider-Man!
Or how about a few pages afterwards when Rascal meets another bearded man who looks identical to the previous bearded man but is actually someone completely different?! The character models should be at least a bit different or if every male character above the age of 18 is going to have a massive beard, the artist needs to find a way to make them distinct from one another!
Johnston has worked with Mitten before and should know the artist’s limitations by now, but instead writes a few scenes set in water with the water bursts consequently looking like dust clouds! There’s a reason why their last series was set in a desert wasteland - Mitten cannot draw convincing water scenes. He does draw cloaks well though, and there are plenty of those.
Umbral is just terrible. It’s the dullest fantasy comic I’ve ever read and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone - in fact, make a mental note of this creative team like I have to avoid their work in future!
Umbral is set in fantasyland where a kingdom is preparing for some kind of ceremony for their king or something that coincides with an eclipse. A rascally (monetarily) poor girl called Rascal is running around the palace because she’s somehow friends with the prince - then shadowy creatures, the Umbral of the title, attack because they’ve got a glowy ball of magic (I think) called the Oculus which they need for something (nothing good probably ‘cos they’re “evil”). Rascal goes on the run while the Umbral chase her the entire book.
To say that Umbral is a crap comic is an insult to the New 52 - Savage Hawkman was better than this! Actually no, that’s too harsh, nothing has yet surpassed Savage Hawkman for sheer awfulness - I literally appreciate life more knowing that I’m not reading Savage Hawkman; but still, Umbral is pretty bad.
The story is so shallow and uninvolving while none of the characters rise above the lightest and least memorable of portrayals, and absolutely no aspect of the comic engaged me in any way. I couldn’t care less for Rascal, let alone give a damn about some weird kingdom and some flat “bad” shadow monsters who want to tear it down. Go for it! Destroy it all! Who the hell cares? Based on his writing, certainly not Antony Johnston!
I didn’t like Christopher Mitten’s art in Wasteland and still don’t like it here even if he’s added colour to it - the art is so poorly put together throughout. Like in one scene where Rascal is talking to the head of the Thieves’ Guild who’s a bearded man - the next page is a close up of a shadow monster and she runs, manages to pull out a mountain climber’s pick out of nowhere (and which we never see again) to hook onto an outcropping and escape. What annoyed me was that there was no scene in between to indicate that the bearded man had transformed into the shadow monster - I thought the two were separate, ie. bearded man and Rascal in room, shadow monster appears, Rascal escapes and bearded man probably dies in the room. But the bearded man WAS the shadow monster, a fact you don’t realise until a couple pages later. AWFUL sequential art, Mitten. And how original were the shadow monsters’ character designs? They all look like Venom from Spider-Man!
Or how about a few pages afterwards when Rascal meets another bearded man who looks identical to the previous bearded man but is actually someone completely different?! The character models should be at least a bit different or if every male character above the age of 18 is going to have a massive beard, the artist needs to find a way to make them distinct from one another!
Johnston has worked with Mitten before and should know the artist’s limitations by now, but instead writes a few scenes set in water with the water bursts consequently looking like dust clouds! There’s a reason why their last series was set in a desert wasteland - Mitten cannot draw convincing water scenes. He does draw cloaks well though, and there are plenty of those.
Umbral is just terrible. It’s the dullest fantasy comic I’ve ever read and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone - in fact, make a mental note of this creative team like I have to avoid their work in future!
April 14, 2020
This was an OK read. Basic premise of the book is that Rascal has taken a magical amulet and the Umbral want it back. The Umbral are your basic smoke monster / Venom looking bad guys who can take on human form. I hated their look. They had very little form and just seemed like an excuse for the artist to not do his job of rendering fully formed figures. Speaking of the artist, Christopher Mitten's art in this book is not good. It borrows from Bill Sienkiewicz but not in a good way. There's no flow between the panels and story elements that were supposed to be told through the art are lost. Like how one of Rascal's friends is an Umbral. One page she's talking to this person, the next she's talking to an Umbral. I had to doublecheck I didn't miss a page. I didn't figure it out until I started reading the next issue that the characters were one and the same.
November 4, 2020
The story was a bit confusing. It didn't help that there are a few characters that have very similar designs. Also, based on the art, it feels like the age of the characters fluctuated. The main character, Rascal, seems to be anywhere between 12 and 25 depending on the panel. I don't think I'll continue with this series.
February 19, 2016
This was a likeable read with some nice elements. I have been meaning to get to this for quite a while and never quite made the time, but I am glad I did at last. The colour tones of this initially drew me to it, but then the story sounded fun too.
This is a graphic novel following a girl called Rascal and her friend he Prince as they try to steal a precious item called the Oculus. Problem is, when they get there the Oculus is being guarded and stolen by a bunch or creeeeepy demons (they are pretty creepy with huge smiles...scary). The demons quickly give chase to Rascal and she finds herself in quite a predicament, not knowing who to trust.
I like the ideas behind the story of this and I enjoyed seeing the progression of the story as we went through, but, I also think that the story is not as strong as I'd have liked for a whole volume and it felt a little lacking in some areas for explanations. I would have really liked to learn a bit more about why and how everything worked and was happening as I felt that the 'magic' and mystery weren't fully at the level I hoped for. Maybe it gets better in the next volume, but as volume 1 I just hoped for a bit more.
With that said, it's a fun series so far and has some nice spreads. I liked it, didn't love it. Am I going to continue? Maybe, I haven't really decided yet. If I can find it at a library then yes, if I have to buy it, maybe. Overall 3*s
This is a graphic novel following a girl called Rascal and her friend he Prince as they try to steal a precious item called the Oculus. Problem is, when they get there the Oculus is being guarded and stolen by a bunch or creeeeepy demons (they are pretty creepy with huge smiles...scary). The demons quickly give chase to Rascal and she finds herself in quite a predicament, not knowing who to trust.
I like the ideas behind the story of this and I enjoyed seeing the progression of the story as we went through, but, I also think that the story is not as strong as I'd have liked for a whole volume and it felt a little lacking in some areas for explanations. I would have really liked to learn a bit more about why and how everything worked and was happening as I felt that the 'magic' and mystery weren't fully at the level I hoped for. Maybe it gets better in the next volume, but as volume 1 I just hoped for a bit more.
With that said, it's a fun series so far and has some nice spreads. I liked it, didn't love it. Am I going to continue? Maybe, I haven't really decided yet. If I can find it at a library then yes, if I have to buy it, maybe. Overall 3*s
October 23, 2016
No idea what book Sam read. I had a really good time with Umbral.
January 13, 2016
In the past half-decade or so, there's been a huge surge in imaginative science fiction/fantasy comics that combine complex, unique ideas with top-notch art and characterization. It seems you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a half-dozen comics with evocative and fresh takes on SF&F, particularly from Image Comics (Saga, Rat Queens, The Wicked + The Divine, East of West, Pretty Deadly, The Autumnlands, Outcast, Umbral, Undertow, etc. etc. etc.).
So, Umbral. The protagonist is a girl thief named Rascal; she starts out perusing the royal palace with her friend, the crown prince, on the day of a rare eclipse. That's when the monsters from under your bed turn out to be real, and use the eclipse as cover to attack the palace. (These would be the Umbral, mythical shadow-creatures from a surreal, dreamlike hell.) Rascal was using the eclipse as cover to steal a priceless jewel, which also happens to be the magical artifact the Umbral are after; now Rascal is on the run for her life from the Umbral invasion, which nobody knows is happening... the monsters have taken the form of the slain king, queen, and prince, and stay hot on Rascal's heels.
That's a pretty solid setup; we have Rascal on the run with a magical artifact, hopping back and forth between one fantasy world and another, with a few mysterious sidekicks thrown in who may help find a way to use this gem to drive back the Umbral. Rascal is a pretty awesome heroine with excellent characterization; some people may complain about a teen girl protag, but y'know, screw them. The art is a bit loose, and very gritty, but it's drop-dead gorgeous; the color scheme is incredibly evocative--it's dark but vibrant, full of lush, radioactive purples and reds that evokes a twisted nightmare. The writing is fast-paced, full of action and adventure, and has a great sense of humor--again, Rascal's a well-drawn character--but really, while the writing's good, the art is just killer.
It does have a few flaws, though. A lot of stuff happens without being explained until (much) later, such as the unexplained reveal that the Umbral can take the form of someone they've killed (which isn't confusing at all)... I'm happy that I binged on these (via a Comixology sale), as I probably would have pitched the series if I was reading issue-to-issue. It's also notably plot-heavy, but instead of being too plotted it feels like a lot of things are made up they go along. Despite starting with a two-page map spread, the characters (beyond Rascal) and setting can feel very shallow in volume one.
Maybe this is both the good and the bad of creator-owned comics---the creators are free to come up with a brilliant idea and use an art style that does it justice, but I think it could really benefit from more editorial input smoothing over the rockier elements. Alas, the series was killed after 12 issues/two volumes, which seems like a shame; there's a lot of good elements here, and it's not like its issues were insurmountable. If you want a refreshing new spin on yesterday's old fantasy, and don't mind the slow, confusing parts, it's worth picking up.
So, Umbral. The protagonist is a girl thief named Rascal; she starts out perusing the royal palace with her friend, the crown prince, on the day of a rare eclipse. That's when the monsters from under your bed turn out to be real, and use the eclipse as cover to attack the palace. (These would be the Umbral, mythical shadow-creatures from a surreal, dreamlike hell.) Rascal was using the eclipse as cover to steal a priceless jewel, which also happens to be the magical artifact the Umbral are after; now Rascal is on the run for her life from the Umbral invasion, which nobody knows is happening... the monsters have taken the form of the slain king, queen, and prince, and stay hot on Rascal's heels.
That's a pretty solid setup; we have Rascal on the run with a magical artifact, hopping back and forth between one fantasy world and another, with a few mysterious sidekicks thrown in who may help find a way to use this gem to drive back the Umbral. Rascal is a pretty awesome heroine with excellent characterization; some people may complain about a teen girl protag, but y'know, screw them. The art is a bit loose, and very gritty, but it's drop-dead gorgeous; the color scheme is incredibly evocative--it's dark but vibrant, full of lush, radioactive purples and reds that evokes a twisted nightmare. The writing is fast-paced, full of action and adventure, and has a great sense of humor--again, Rascal's a well-drawn character--but really, while the writing's good, the art is just killer.
It does have a few flaws, though. A lot of stuff happens without being explained until (much) later, such as the unexplained reveal that the Umbral can take the form of someone they've killed (which isn't confusing at all)... I'm happy that I binged on these (via a Comixology sale), as I probably would have pitched the series if I was reading issue-to-issue. It's also notably plot-heavy, but instead of being too plotted it feels like a lot of things are made up they go along. Despite starting with a two-page map spread, the characters (beyond Rascal) and setting can feel very shallow in volume one.
Maybe this is both the good and the bad of creator-owned comics---the creators are free to come up with a brilliant idea and use an art style that does it justice, but I think it could really benefit from more editorial input smoothing over the rockier elements. Alas, the series was killed after 12 issues/two volumes, which seems like a shame; there's a lot of good elements here, and it's not like its issues were insurmountable. If you want a refreshing new spin on yesterday's old fantasy, and don't mind the slow, confusing parts, it's worth picking up.
June 30, 2014
I enjoyed it, though there wasn't a whole lot to this first volume, other than an extended chase scene, that ran through several issues. The story follows a young girl in a fantasy kingdom who stumbles onto the fact that the Umbral, shadow creatures of myth, have returned and have killed the king and queen and taken their place, with the intent of eventually taking over the rest of the world. The girl, Rascal, has in her possession a stone called the Oculus, which has some meaning to the Umbral, and so they try to get it back. And thus commences the story. I liked Johnston and Mitten's Wasteland and it's nice to see Mitten's artwork with some color added to it this time around. I'd like to know more about this kingdom and these people and some of the supporting characters who Rascal comes into contact with, but this initial volume does much of what it sets out to do: commence an exciting story that will have you turning the pages, wanting to know more about what's going on. Hopefully, some of these unanswered questions will be answered soon (that was one of the drawbacks of Wasteland--it took forever for things to happen and for some of the background details of that world to be filled in). I'll be here for volume 2.
May 7, 2015
A proper fantasy comic book, so that's a merit in my scale.
There's a lot to like and also things that ate stars from the rating. This is just a beginning of the bigger story, so i try not to be too judgmental about the story so far, as its a little basic stuff so far, least for someone who's has read a lot of fantasy.
My motivations for reading this one were: Image comics and to read longer fantasy story in a comic book format, and i will definitely stick in for a while to see where this story is heading.
What's to like? Art is good, though a little bit confusing at times. There were many characters that looked the same and some storytelling techniques were confusing, i had to backtrack many times to keep up with the plot.
But, despite many flaws, i see here a good potential to grow something great. I haven't read anything else from Anhony Johnston, so obliviously can't say how this compares to his other work, but i might checkout his other stuff. I can recommend this one to those that want to read a fantasy genre in comic book format, and this one beats hell out that poor Games of Thrones comic book adaption.
There's a lot to like and also things that ate stars from the rating. This is just a beginning of the bigger story, so i try not to be too judgmental about the story so far, as its a little basic stuff so far, least for someone who's has read a lot of fantasy.
My motivations for reading this one were: Image comics and to read longer fantasy story in a comic book format, and i will definitely stick in for a while to see where this story is heading.
What's to like? Art is good, though a little bit confusing at times. There were many characters that looked the same and some storytelling techniques were confusing, i had to backtrack many times to keep up with the plot.
But, despite many flaws, i see here a good potential to grow something great. I haven't read anything else from Anhony Johnston, so obliviously can't say how this compares to his other work, but i might checkout his other stuff. I can recommend this one to those that want to read a fantasy genre in comic book format, and this one beats hell out that poor Games of Thrones comic book adaption.
December 28, 2019
Love, love, love. A realm where magic is banned? A young thief who steals something critical to her kingdoms safety? Nightmarish creatures from some dark underworld? I am sold.
The artwork is stunning, and I absolutely adored the dark colour palate.
The story is part horror and part fantasy, and weaves mystery with action. I was gripped from the start and can’t wait to continue the series and find out more about the mysterious Dalone.
The artwork is stunning, and I absolutely adored the dark colour palate.
The story is part horror and part fantasy, and weaves mystery with action. I was gripped from the start and can’t wait to continue the series and find out more about the mysterious Dalone.
July 19, 2014
Disappointing
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.)
Tasked by her boss, the Master of the Thieves Guild, with stealing a priceless artifact from the palace trophy room, Rascal unwittingly witnesses the murder of King Petor and Queen Innaline during the robbery. Worse still, her co-conspirator is none other than Prince Arthir, who soon joins his parents in the grave. Only, the rest of the world doesn't yet know that the royal family is dead - because their killers, creatures from a hell dimension known collectively as the Umbral, are shape-shifters who have assumed the visages of the King, Queen, and Prince, as well as other key players in Strakhelm. Their goal? World domination. It's up to young Rascal to keep the Occulus safe and out of Umbral hands.
Based on the book's tag line - "Orphaned at birth. Raised by smugglers. Taken in by thieves. Running for her life." - I had some crazy high hopes for Umbral, Book One: Out of the Shadows. A spunky young heroine! Doing crimes and taking names! In a multiverse! And pirates!
Alas, it was not to be. While the story idea is promising, Umbral never quite lives up to its potential. Between the shape shifting and the constant travel between dimensions (Rascal is somehow able to slip in and out of the Umbral), the story can sometimes get confusing - a problem not helped by the artwork, which is oftentimes sloppy and fails to clearly illustrate the many plot twists. For example, a few of the characters (e.g. Dalone and Master Gearge) look so much alike that at first glance they're often hard to tell apart. And the hell and regular dimensions? So similar that they're nearly indistinguishable. One just seems to be a different version of the present reality; the only way you can tell one from the other is through the narration, which isn't always helpful, either.
More than once I found myself backtracking several pages in order to figure out just what the hell was going on.
Three stars is probably on the generous side, but there are some elements of the story I loved - namely, Shayim the one-eyed smuggler, who's a much more compelling character than Rascal. While I'm not a fan of the artwork (why on earth does Rascal's hair resemble a rope made of bedsheets?), the colors are gorgeous and do a fine job of setting the mood for the story: dark, rich, foreboding.
That said, I think I'll pass on Book Two.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/07/21/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.)
Tasked by her boss, the Master of the Thieves Guild, with stealing a priceless artifact from the palace trophy room, Rascal unwittingly witnesses the murder of King Petor and Queen Innaline during the robbery. Worse still, her co-conspirator is none other than Prince Arthir, who soon joins his parents in the grave. Only, the rest of the world doesn't yet know that the royal family is dead - because their killers, creatures from a hell dimension known collectively as the Umbral, are shape-shifters who have assumed the visages of the King, Queen, and Prince, as well as other key players in Strakhelm. Their goal? World domination. It's up to young Rascal to keep the Occulus safe and out of Umbral hands.
Based on the book's tag line - "Orphaned at birth. Raised by smugglers. Taken in by thieves. Running for her life." - I had some crazy high hopes for Umbral, Book One: Out of the Shadows. A spunky young heroine! Doing crimes and taking names! In a multiverse! And pirates!
Alas, it was not to be. While the story idea is promising, Umbral never quite lives up to its potential. Between the shape shifting and the constant travel between dimensions (Rascal is somehow able to slip in and out of the Umbral), the story can sometimes get confusing - a problem not helped by the artwork, which is oftentimes sloppy and fails to clearly illustrate the many plot twists. For example, a few of the characters (e.g. Dalone and Master Gearge) look so much alike that at first glance they're often hard to tell apart. And the hell and regular dimensions? So similar that they're nearly indistinguishable. One just seems to be a different version of the present reality; the only way you can tell one from the other is through the narration, which isn't always helpful, either.
More than once I found myself backtracking several pages in order to figure out just what the hell was going on.
Three stars is probably on the generous side, but there are some elements of the story I loved - namely, Shayim the one-eyed smuggler, who's a much more compelling character than Rascal. While I'm not a fan of the artwork (why on earth does Rascal's hair resemble a rope made of bedsheets?), the colors are gorgeous and do a fine job of setting the mood for the story: dark, rich, foreboding.
That said, I think I'll pass on Book Two.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/07/21/...
July 1, 2014
'Umbral' is a fantasy graphic novel that I found unexpectedly good. While the art is a bit looser than I like, there are still enough interesting characters and plot twists to keep it going.
Rascal is a young thief out to steal a precious gem. She is also friends with the prince. While she and the prince are having an adventure, an unspeakable evil visits the kingdom, putting Rascal on the run and finding allies in unexpected places. The Umbral are a strange, evil race that can possess anyone, so who do you trust? Every time she thinks she can take a breath, the Umbral are right at her heels, seeking the gem she stole. It turns out Rascal can't trust many people, but she finds a homeless guy who turns out to be more powerful than she thinks.
There are some pretty typical fantasy tropes in here, but it's a light enough read, and there are some interesting characters. I'm curious to know how the story will continue to unfold. Like I mentioned, the art is a bit loose. I found a couple characters a bit hard to distinguish. All in all, not a bad fantasy graphic novel.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Rascal is a young thief out to steal a precious gem. She is also friends with the prince. While she and the prince are having an adventure, an unspeakable evil visits the kingdom, putting Rascal on the run and finding allies in unexpected places. The Umbral are a strange, evil race that can possess anyone, so who do you trust? Every time she thinks she can take a breath, the Umbral are right at her heels, seeking the gem she stole. It turns out Rascal can't trust many people, but she finds a homeless guy who turns out to be more powerful than she thinks.
There are some pretty typical fantasy tropes in here, but it's a light enough read, and there are some interesting characters. I'm curious to know how the story will continue to unfold. Like I mentioned, the art is a bit loose. I found a couple characters a bit hard to distinguish. All in all, not a bad fantasy graphic novel.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
June 21, 2014
So confusing, but so much fun! It took me a good half of the book to really understand what the hell was happening, but once I had a better grasp on it all, I loved the whole premiss. There are still things I've confused about (especially since the evil does can just take over bodies), luckily the graphic novel decides to eventually lay it all out, unfortunately it doesn't do so until later on. I don't know how people read this issue to issue. If I hadn't had a volume of it, I would have given up an issue or two in. The two main female characters are pretty freaking great and I love that they aren't blondes or without clothing. They definitely hold their own, which held my attention. The world building was massive, which lead to details having to be glossed over, which caused confusion. It's evident where the author was trying to go, but not enough time was able to be allotted to get there. I look forward to future volumes and hope to find out not only the continued storyline, but more of the new world presented/created.
August 3, 2014
I won this book in a good-reads giveaway.
So, I will say up front, I don't normally read American comics. I'm used to reading manga and the amount of text that American comics have is usually a turn off for me. I always wondered about how manga seems to be able to convey a lot more in less words...
Anyway! Going to my actual review of the story. This story is confusing.
I get a general gist of what the story is about but at the same time I feel like I know nothing at all. I don't feel invested in any of the characters despite the good amount that pop up in the first book.
Another issue I had with this book was the art. Now, I'm okay with American-style art, it's just that I had a hard time telling people apart. Some characters look way too similar to each other to the point I was wondering if it was the same character for a little while.
Overall, I thought this book had a good premise to it but it needs some work to be a much better story.
So, I will say up front, I don't normally read American comics. I'm used to reading manga and the amount of text that American comics have is usually a turn off for me. I always wondered about how manga seems to be able to convey a lot more in less words...
Anyway! Going to my actual review of the story. This story is confusing.
I get a general gist of what the story is about but at the same time I feel like I know nothing at all. I don't feel invested in any of the characters despite the good amount that pop up in the first book.
Another issue I had with this book was the art. Now, I'm okay with American-style art, it's just that I had a hard time telling people apart. Some characters look way too similar to each other to the point I was wondering if it was the same character for a little while.
Overall, I thought this book had a good premise to it but it needs some work to be a much better story.
June 11, 2015
Really didn't like this graphic novel. The art and the paneling was very confusing. All the characters looked alike and often it would cut jump to the next scene leaving me confused on how we go there. This was often the case of some one morphed into a Umbral. It would take me pages to figure out if the Umbral just came and killed the person or changed from the person. I really didn't like the art at all. It didn't add anything to the story. Also the placement of the text could have been better done to create more of a flow.
For the actual story, it was really confusing. There was little to no world building and just jumped into the action. We aren't told anything till almost the end of the book, even though the character apparently knows the myths. Character development was non existent, and part of not know who was who made me unable to connect with them or the world.
This was a huge disappointment for me since I have been looking for a good fantasy graphic novel. I will not be carrying on with the series and will be selling my copy of this book to a used book store.
For the actual story, it was really confusing. There was little to no world building and just jumped into the action. We aren't told anything till almost the end of the book, even though the character apparently knows the myths. Character development was non existent, and part of not know who was who made me unable to connect with them or the world.
This was a huge disappointment for me since I have been looking for a good fantasy graphic novel. I will not be carrying on with the series and will be selling my copy of this book to a used book store.
October 12, 2016
Part of a Graphic Novel club im part of and this was the months graphic novel.
Was an OK story about a girl who is a thief that encounters some demons is nothing really new and all the ideas have sort of been done before. This volume contains the first few issues which started out quite strong but did get considerably weaker as it continued sort of like the writer changed his mind part way through with where to take this which did make the story sort of chaotic at times.
The art style was very enjoyable I did like the design of all the human characters, however I found the demons to be quite unimaginative and found them too be uninspired. You get alot of value for money with this graphic novel with alot of dialogue and alot of pages for a first volume.
Overall it was OK but I wouldn't continue the series after this one, it is adult in content as most Image published comics are so if you like things like Mistborn then maybe this might be for you but there is considerably better things out there.
Was an OK story about a girl who is a thief that encounters some demons is nothing really new and all the ideas have sort of been done before. This volume contains the first few issues which started out quite strong but did get considerably weaker as it continued sort of like the writer changed his mind part way through with where to take this which did make the story sort of chaotic at times.
The art style was very enjoyable I did like the design of all the human characters, however I found the demons to be quite unimaginative and found them too be uninspired. You get alot of value for money with this graphic novel with alot of dialogue and alot of pages for a first volume.
Overall it was OK but I wouldn't continue the series after this one, it is adult in content as most Image published comics are so if you like things like Mistborn then maybe this might be for you but there is considerably better things out there.
April 28, 2015
This book was only just okay for me. I won a box of comics from bookriot.com and this was in the box.
The storyline wasn't bad - a young girl, a thief, steals the oculus from the royal family and basically all hell breaks loose - literally. The Umbral - dark, demon like creatures, are after her to steal the oculus themselves and make the world their own.
My biggest problem was the artwork. I had a very hard time telling people apart and really telling what was going on in the scenes. Some pictures I stared at very hard, but still could not figure out what was happening. A lot of people just look alike.
I'm not sure if I will be reading the sequel or not.
The storyline wasn't bad - a young girl, a thief, steals the oculus from the royal family and basically all hell breaks loose - literally. The Umbral - dark, demon like creatures, are after her to steal the oculus themselves and make the world their own.
My biggest problem was the artwork. I had a very hard time telling people apart and really telling what was going on in the scenes. Some pictures I stared at very hard, but still could not figure out what was happening. A lot of people just look alike.
I'm not sure if I will be reading the sequel or not.
August 4, 2014
Just okay, not amazing. It almost felt like someone went through to edit it, but forgot to go back through and smooth it out once they took out anything they had removed. But I like the concept and the art isn't half bad.
November 14, 2019
I'm as big as fan of Johnston & Mitten's Wasteland as you're likely to find. Umbral was their big reunion, this time with added color. It's a lot like their previous collaboration, except it lacks comparable depth.
Christopher Mitten's one failing as an artist is that he sometimes designs several characters to look more or less the same. It's not hard to distinguish them, maybe, but it also looks a little lazy. This is certainly not his failing alone; I just watched some Game of Thrones, and for anyone who isn't obsessed with it there are too many characters who look and/or fill the exact same description. It's just something that happens when you aren't paying close enough attention, either as the person absorbing the material and sometimes even the creator making it.
This could be a problem in Wasteland, too, mind, but then Wasteland was a fantastic mosaic of intrigue, whether the fates of individual characters or the central mystery of what it was all about. Umbral feels like it was infused with the latter but didn't spend near enough time developing the former. There's a cast of characters who show up Three Stooges style crowding the same doorway, but this doesn't suit Antony Johnston's best instincts as a storyteller. Regardless of how many characters he attempts to juggle, he's at his best when there's one or two strong protagonists, usually working off each other (his other Image series, The Fuse, clearly understood that a lot better).
Instead this is a fairly typical Image product, something that looks pretty but confuses narrative thrust with a frenetic pace, constantly moving the action along regardless of how much actually sticks.
I adore Wasteland, and always will. Umbral will remain, as it seems it did for its creators, an afterthought.
Christopher Mitten's one failing as an artist is that he sometimes designs several characters to look more or less the same. It's not hard to distinguish them, maybe, but it also looks a little lazy. This is certainly not his failing alone; I just watched some Game of Thrones, and for anyone who isn't obsessed with it there are too many characters who look and/or fill the exact same description. It's just something that happens when you aren't paying close enough attention, either as the person absorbing the material and sometimes even the creator making it.
This could be a problem in Wasteland, too, mind, but then Wasteland was a fantastic mosaic of intrigue, whether the fates of individual characters or the central mystery of what it was all about. Umbral feels like it was infused with the latter but didn't spend near enough time developing the former. There's a cast of characters who show up Three Stooges style crowding the same doorway, but this doesn't suit Antony Johnston's best instincts as a storyteller. Regardless of how many characters he attempts to juggle, he's at his best when there's one or two strong protagonists, usually working off each other (his other Image series, The Fuse, clearly understood that a lot better).
Instead this is a fairly typical Image product, something that looks pretty but confuses narrative thrust with a frenetic pace, constantly moving the action along regardless of how much actually sticks.
I adore Wasteland, and always will. Umbral will remain, as it seems it did for its creators, an afterthought.
May 23, 2021
3.5 Stars. When I found all 12 of these comics in the $1 bin on a day when the $1 bin comics were on sale, it was a no brainer to pick them up. The art looked cool and it seemed like a kind of fantasy/horror thing, which is right up my alley. It really was good, I liked the characters and the world seemed fully-realized. Lots of action and suspense.
And then it ended. That's when I found out the series was cancelled and never finished. It wasn't a terrible ending, but kind of like a season finale, that left the big story unfinished (like the show American Gods).
And then it ended. That's when I found out the series was cancelled and never finished. It wasn't a terrible ending, but kind of like a season finale, that left the big story unfinished (like the show American Gods).
October 18, 2021
Oh, I wish The Umbral had found an audience and continued, as it was good fun. This volume is a bit slow as it sets things up, but there's some interesting slivers of worldbuilding (so many questions we never saw answered!) and great characterisation. It feels a bit like Terry Pratchett doing Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, if you're looking for the elevator pitch.
December 14, 2018
Lovely art, and it shows promise. But I found it a little hard to follow what was going on and who was who sometimes.
March 18, 2019
Bellissima graphic novel.
Peccato, nel mio caso, che per continuare a leggere questa allucinante storia dovrò reperire numeri e numeri successivi. Ed io che pensavo fossero al massimo due volumi...😭😊
Peccato, nel mio caso, che per continuare a leggere questa allucinante storia dovrò reperire numeri e numeri successivi. Ed io che pensavo fossero al massimo due volumi...😭😊
September 25, 2019
I liked the art work but I found the story hard to follow at times. I like action packed stories but this was so fast paced that it just felt like it was in fast forward.
April 23, 2020
Won't be continuing the series as the art style and story isn't for me
November 28, 2020
the art was beautiful and i loved the panel arrangements but the story felt a little too much too fast and the timeskips without any kind of warning were also incredibly jarring
April 28, 2016
I'm trying this new rating system. So we'll see how this goes.
Plot, Characters & Setting:
1. The plot was likable. Definitely fast-paced if you’re into that kind of thing. But from the start already very embroiled in the world. It might not be the most original plot but it alt least kept my attention.
2. It was hard for me to get attached to the characters at the very beginning after spoilerly stuff happened. It just came and went so fast to these characters before I even deigned whether or not I liked them. I do like Rascal overall but I had a few problems with her personality switching back and forth between liking certain characters. To me, it wasn’t that consistent.
3. I really enjoyed the setting. After either the third or fourth chapter, when we finally get more backstory, I thought the whole calamity aspect of the story added depth to the world. But then again, towards the beginning, everything moved rather fast and I had no idea what the setting was liked. I would’ve liked more.
3*s for this section.
Writing/Art Style:
The writing style was a little problematic for me here. I can kind of relate to a lot of other Goodreads users when they say that the both the writing and art style was little confusing by saying, again, this entire comic was so fast-paced that we as readers barely have time for questions. I enjoyed the art style, however confusing it was, and the tones and palette of the entire thing was what made it especially appealing to me.
3*s for this section.
Development:
Hoooooo boy. I had a biggest problem with the development of the story. Again, “Umbral” had a shaky foundation to begin with and I would have liked more of an establishment of the characters and the world before we’re thrown into the main story. From that point on, it’s horror and rampage and while Rascal might have certain loyalties to other characters, I have no clue who they are. I appreciated the bit in the third or fourth chapter where there was background development and where we actually stick with some characters, though. And from that point on, I became sort of relieved we had finally slowed down. The beginning was a little unforgivable though.
2.5*s for the section.
Bias:
This is my own personal bias for this story. I’ve had this sitting on my shelf for a long while now and have the second volume because hell, I can’t contain my comic-buying tendencies (can you???). I had no idea what this entire thing was about before I delved into it so for me, the only bias there is in here is that there’s a pretty map in the front cover and that I love maps. End of story.
Bias partially eliminated.
Overall: 2.75-3*s
Final Words: Well, since I have the second volume, might as well…? *shrugs*
Plot, Characters & Setting:
1. The plot was likable. Definitely fast-paced if you’re into that kind of thing. But from the start already very embroiled in the world. It might not be the most original plot but it alt least kept my attention.
2. It was hard for me to get attached to the characters at the very beginning after spoilerly stuff happened. It just came and went so fast to these characters before I even deigned whether or not I liked them. I do like Rascal overall but I had a few problems with her personality switching back and forth between liking certain characters. To me, it wasn’t that consistent.
3. I really enjoyed the setting. After either the third or fourth chapter, when we finally get more backstory, I thought the whole calamity aspect of the story added depth to the world. But then again, towards the beginning, everything moved rather fast and I had no idea what the setting was liked. I would’ve liked more.
3*s for this section.
Writing/Art Style:
The writing style was a little problematic for me here. I can kind of relate to a lot of other Goodreads users when they say that the both the writing and art style was little confusing by saying, again, this entire comic was so fast-paced that we as readers barely have time for questions. I enjoyed the art style, however confusing it was, and the tones and palette of the entire thing was what made it especially appealing to me.
3*s for this section.
Development:
Hoooooo boy. I had a biggest problem with the development of the story. Again, “Umbral” had a shaky foundation to begin with and I would have liked more of an establishment of the characters and the world before we’re thrown into the main story. From that point on, it’s horror and rampage and while Rascal might have certain loyalties to other characters, I have no clue who they are. I appreciated the bit in the third or fourth chapter where there was background development and where we actually stick with some characters, though. And from that point on, I became sort of relieved we had finally slowed down. The beginning was a little unforgivable though.
2.5*s for the section.
Bias:
This is my own personal bias for this story. I’ve had this sitting on my shelf for a long while now and have the second volume because hell, I can’t contain my comic-buying tendencies (can you???). I had no idea what this entire thing was about before I delved into it so for me, the only bias there is in here is that there’s a pretty map in the front cover and that I love maps. End of story.
Bias partially eliminated.
Overall: 2.75-3*s
Final Words: Well, since I have the second volume, might as well…? *shrugs*
December 30, 2016
I just didn't like this. I didn't like the art, apart from the cover art. I didn't like the story or the writing. And lastly, I somehow found it hard for me to concentrate on the plot line, I don't know how to describe that feeling..... but that's just how I felt. This was disappointing, especially since I was looking forward to it too.
March 16, 2017
The illustrations were awesome, definitely the best part of the book. However, I was pretty confused as to what was going on for a lot of scenes. Some of the charaters looked alike and I found myself flipping back to previous pages trying to sort out who was who.
I liked it overall because I am a sucker for that style of art work but I reiterate, some scenes were pretty confusing.
I liked it overall because I am a sucker for that style of art work but I reiterate, some scenes were pretty confusing.
October 17, 2014
Hay un motivo por el que las escenas de persecución son consideradas aburridas en las películas. Es algo que intenta meter tensión, y simplemente falla. Tres de los seis números que conforman este comic son una larga escena de persecución. Y en el comic es peor que en las películas. Lo peor es que está ubicada en los números dos, tres y cuatro. Dandome varias opciones de botar el comic.
En lo que respecta al arte, es bastante bonito, con largas túnicas y cabellos que se alargan y hacen varios trucos cuando el personaje principal corre. Bonitos paisajes, tonos oscuros, complicados pasadizos. Todo muy bonito, pero es difícil saber que pasa, o al menos (por la mitad del comic) saber hacía donde están corriendo. El arte es bueno, pero la composición no. Hay muchas partes donde no sabes que esta pasando. Los guardias aparecen de ningún lado, los muros cambían de altura, espinas de treinta centimetros de largo son cubiertas con una manta para que puedas pasar por encima, los malos no tienen un tamaño constante (Y más que sombras, paracen copias de Venom). Hay mala comunicación entre el escritor y el artista y puede notarse. Hay transformaciones donde no hay escena de transición. Esto pasa tanto para las veces en que los Umbral se transforman y para las veces en que Rascal se transporta al lugar de los Umbral. Tampoco queda claro el funcionamiento de esta dimensión paralela, supongo que es como el anillo único de Frodo, pero no queda claro el mecanismo de retorno y como se ubican en el lugar. Y otra variedad de errores en el comic.
Se que parece que lo estoy haciendo bolsa, pero mejora bastante en los dos últimos números donde la historia se pone interesante y el arte acompaña. Es aquí donde vemos la mitología, las historias personales y donde los personajes hacen algo más que correr a ningún lugar. No me deja conforme pero aumenta su ranking a tres estrellas y aumenta lo suficiente las expectativas para que amerite leer el segundo volumen.
En lo que respecta al arte, es bastante bonito, con largas túnicas y cabellos que se alargan y hacen varios trucos cuando el personaje principal corre. Bonitos paisajes, tonos oscuros, complicados pasadizos. Todo muy bonito, pero es difícil saber que pasa, o al menos (por la mitad del comic) saber hacía donde están corriendo. El arte es bueno, pero la composición no. Hay muchas partes donde no sabes que esta pasando. Los guardias aparecen de ningún lado, los muros cambían de altura, espinas de treinta centimetros de largo son cubiertas con una manta para que puedas pasar por encima, los malos no tienen un tamaño constante (Y más que sombras, paracen copias de Venom). Hay mala comunicación entre el escritor y el artista y puede notarse. Hay transformaciones donde no hay escena de transición. Esto pasa tanto para las veces en que los Umbral se transforman y para las veces en que Rascal se transporta al lugar de los Umbral. Tampoco queda claro el funcionamiento de esta dimensión paralela, supongo que es como el anillo único de Frodo, pero no queda claro el mecanismo de retorno y como se ubican en el lugar. Y otra variedad de errores en el comic.
Se que parece que lo estoy haciendo bolsa, pero mejora bastante en los dos últimos números donde la historia se pone interesante y el arte acompaña. Es aquí donde vemos la mitología, las historias personales y donde los personajes hacen algo más que correr a ningún lugar. No me deja conforme pero aumenta su ranking a tres estrellas y aumenta lo suficiente las expectativas para que amerite leer el segundo volumen.
Read
September 7, 2015The skeleton at the feast - one of the few recent Image launches not to hit big, and indeed to be placed on indefinite hiatus after its first year. And to be fair, it does itself several disservices. The names, for one. Always tricky in fantasy, but when the same scene has Arthir, Borus and Petor, your method starts to look a little obvious. And as in Wasteland, the Johnston/Mitten team do sometimes make a scene more opaque than it needs to be for no apparent
gain. But I think the single biggest problem is that the story should have begun earlier. The first issue sees monsters believed mythical unleashed, loads of deaths, and protagonist Rascal going on the run with a shiny McGuffin. And none of it has much weight because we've barely seen the normal rhythms of her life or this world. Set up with a couple of tales of light thievery, a few references to the Umbral as a fairytale threat, and it would all have meant so much more. Still, by the end of the volume it's really picked up; a shame if that was too little, too late.
gain. But I think the single biggest problem is that the story should have begun earlier. The first issue sees monsters believed mythical unleashed, loads of deaths, and protagonist Rascal going on the run with a shiny McGuffin. And none of it has much weight because we've barely seen the normal rhythms of her life or this world. Set up with a couple of tales of light thievery, a few references to the Umbral as a fairytale threat, and it would all have meant so much more. Still, by the end of the volume it's really picked up; a shame if that was too little, too late.
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